I'm Your National Anthem
by Crabc4kes
Summary: Moving to a new town... That's not what Sophia wanted to do. Leaving behind her boyfriend, best friend, and old home town wasn't how she wanted to start her junior year. What complications will rise when she starts to fall for the town's bad boy and party guy... Noel Kahn?
1. Chapter 1

I'm Your National Anthem

CHAPTER 1

Moving to a new place was not what she wanted to do. She wanted to stay in her old town, with her old friends, and her boyfriend. He, at least, wanted to keep a long distance relationship with her, but she knew things would change. She was determined to keep their relationship going, though. She wanted it to work, and she didn't want to lose him. No matter what she did, though, she knew it wouldn't be the same as living in her old town and dating him when he went to the same school as her.

When the car pulled up in the driveway of her new house, she groaned. Her siblings were excited, though, but they were young and just wanted to live in their new house, which had a pool. They didn't know what it was like to leave their boyfriend of over one year, and their best friend of six years behind. They were a little bit sad to leave their friends, who they had known for a short time, but were more concerned about how exciting the pool would be in the new house. She had two siblings. Matthew, who they called Matt, or sometimes even Matty. Matt was seven years old, and he was adorable, curious, and funny. He was interested in joking around and pulling pranks. She also had a younger sister: Addie. Addie was a sweet and energetic fifth grader with a big heart, and perfect baby teeth. She had only lost a few of her baby teeth, which her older sister found adorable.

Her name was Sophia Brannigan, and she was a high school junior. She could sometimes have an attitude, but she wasn't a bad person. Overall, she was quite caring, and ended up being a loyal friend, even if she could make snarky comments or come off as a bit sassy. But unfortunately, moving to a new town was one of those things that brought out her infamous bitchy attitude.

Pennsylvania. Rosewood, Pennsylvania, to be exact. No one cared about towns like Pennsylvania. She came from sunny Florida, where the water was warm and the beaches were always perfect. She didn't want to live in a town with extreme snow and crap. She wanted to live in a coastal state, not a gross middle state that no one liked. People always say they want to move to states like California or Florida, not Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was a lame state, like Iowa. No one have two craps about Iowa (or so she thought).

She knew one thing for sure: she would never, ever like her new home more than her old one.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm Your National Anthem

CHAPTER 2

She didn't even want to think about school. It was in one day. Her family had only arrived in their new Pennsylvanian town a week ago, so she still wasn't settled in. She had been FaceTiming her boyfriend Ryan, who still was living it up in Florida. School there started a little bit later than school for her in Pennsylvania. She couldn't help but feel disappointed. Ryan didn't seem all that sad that she was gone. Well, he told her how much he loved her and how sad he was that she moved, but underneath that, he didn't seem like it. He had to keep leaving their FaceTimes and Skype calls to go hang out with other friends. She felt like she was his second priority.

So, the day before school, after Ryan had hung up on her to go skateboarding with his best buddy Jacob Russo (who had always been stealing him away from Sophia), she decided that she should try and occupy herself. If Ryan was occupied, then she could at least try to be as well! With that, she decided to get out of their new home, and explore the town a little bit. She hoped to see some teenagers that would go to her school, so she could be friends with them when school started for real the next day.

"Have fun, and be safe, my little princess," Mr. Brannigan told his daughter, kissed her forehead, and waved as she started to walk away to explore the town. "Call me if you need anything, sweet heart! Dinner will be at seven o' clock, so don't be late! I love you, baby doll!"

She chuckled at her overprotective and loving dad. She really did love him, he was a wonderful father. Anyways, she started to walk around the town of Rosewood. It seemed like a place that had a lot to it. The people seemed extremely judgmental. She decided that she would just get something to eat. Maybe she would see some kids her age at a place to eat, since kids love food. She saw a coffee store in a plaza full of stores and restaurants. The sign read, _The Brew_. Her dad had given her five dollars to spend around town, so she decide she could spend it on a cup of coffee, and maybe a little muffin on the side or something.

After ordering her coffee, as well as blueberry muffin (the blueberries were ripe, making it a whole lot better), Sophia went to sit at a table in the coffee joint. She sipped it quietly, observing the people around her. There were people of all ages. She saw adults, as well as teenagers, which was the age group she had been looking for. But the girls she saw didn't seem like they were looking for a newbie friend.

"God, I don't even want to go to the party," one girl said, her blonde locks flipping and smacking some guy behind them, hitting him in the face. "Caleb is going to be there, and I am _so _not in the mood for ex-boyfriend drama! Why can't he just get over it? I don't want to be with him after he cheated on me with Jenna Marshall. Why did it have to be her out of all people?"

"To be fair, Jenna has a way of getting to guys," another girl, who was quite short, and had Hazel eyes, said. "She's gotten into the pants of so many guys, so we can't say Caleb is the only one. Rumor has it that she's just started seeing Garrett Reynolds! The bitch can't stay single for more than a week, can she?"

"Okay, I get you want to avoid the ex, but you can't run from him forever," a brunette says. "And think about my needs! Toby asked me to go with him as his date, and of course I said I would go, I mean, he's my boyfriend, but if you guys don't go, I'll be all alone when he goes to talk to his friends."

"Then tell your boyfriend to stop being such a neglecting guy," the blonde says, shrugging her shoulders. "I am going to run from Caleb for as long as I want. What if he shows up with Jenna tonight? I'll be mortified and dateless. I don't have a date to go with tonight, either. He'll be there, telling his friends how I'm a single loser."

"He's too sweet to do that," a tan skinned girl says. "He's not like that. I know he cheated on you, but he wouldn't trash talk about you."

"You don't know that," the blonde says, folding her arms. "You don't even date guys! Guys turn on you as soon as their big, fat egos are a teeny bit damaged. I bet when I dumped Caleb, his precious little ego got bruised, so he went off and told all his friends that he broke up with me or something. Don't you remember what Ben used to do when you said you didn't want to have sex with him, Em?"

"Yeah... he told everybody that we did," she said, sighing. "I know, Hanna, and it sucks that guys would want to do that, but I always thought Caleb was different. I always thought he was better than most guys. I never thought of him as somebody who would stoop as low as that."

"Did you think he would cheat on me with Jenna Marshall? No, you didn't," she said, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Well, he did cheat on me, so that's that. I didn't think he was the cheating type, but clearly I was wrong, because he's a total asshole. But Spencer, if you really need me to go to the party, I will. You have to promise not to leave me anywhere near Caleb, though."

"Of course, I promise," the taller brunette, Spencer, says. "It doesn't have to be a bust tonight, you know. I bet you'll end up having a really great time. Noel Kahn never disappoints in his parties, especially his annual 'before school' party, or whatever he calls it."

Sophia was so annoyed with them. They all seemed like popular, boy-crazed girls (especially the blonde). It wasn't that she didn't like them, it was just that they seemed intimidating. She would have liked to be a part of that crowd, but they seemed too tight-knit. If she got into their clique or whatever, she would be the outsider. They seemed like they had known each other for a long time.

_Party_. That was a thing she wasn't expecting to care so much about. Apparently that party boy was throwing a big one. She went to a few parties in Florida, but only when Ryan begged and pleaded for her to come along with him. She wasn't much of a partier, but then she wondered if this could be her chance to change her image. Maybe she could become the life of the party in Rosewood! It all seemed so intimidating, though. What if she embarrassed herself? She needed to find a way to get into that party, but she didn't want to ask those four girls. Did she need an invite to get into it? She had no clue.

It was going to be a wild ride.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm Your National Anthem

CHAPTER 3

So, change of plans for Sophia. She was going to a party instead. School was tomorrow, it was the last day of summer, so why not? She was looking to gain a good reputation at her new school, and crashing a party seemed like the best way to do it. She had told her dad that she would be back after dinner. She lied and said she had made a friend already, and they offered to let her eat with them. Her dad was so busy settling into their new house and taking care of the other kids, so he just allowed her to go and wasn't too concerned about getting the details of this so-called 'new friend'.

She knew it was absolutely creepy, but she had followed the four girls she had seen in the coffee store. They seemed to be heading straight for the party, well, at least she hoped they were. Lucky for her, they hadn't been driving anywhere, because she didn't want to go home and get her dad's car.

When the girls arrived at a cabin, Sophia knew she was at the right place. There was music blaring from the backyard, obviously meaning that there was some kind of party going on. She was scared. The girls knocked on the door, and she stood idly behind them. For some reason, they hadn't even noticed that she was following them. Maybe the party guy invited so many people that the four girls thought she was just another one of his party guests. A guy with brown hair who was wearing a Rosewood High jacket opened the door. He seemed startled to see the girls there.

"Aria?" he choked. "What are you doing here, sis?"

"Noel invited us," the girl with the hazel eyes, Aria, said. "Aw, look at my little brother! He's all dressed up to go to a party. Don't worry, Mike, I came here just to embarrass you in front of all your friends. Oh, and all the girls, too!"

"Wow, I love you, sis," he sarcastically said, opening the door wider. "Come in, and you better be kidding about what you just said! I hate being buddies with one of your friends. It's so weird. We're not supposed to collide at school, Ar."

"Kahn isn't really my friend, but oh well," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Man up, I'm not here for you. I'm here for other people. I'll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine. Oh, and we don't tell mom and dad _anything_ that happens in here. Got it?"

"You bet," he said, letting them in.

Sophia popped up from the corner, and walked to the doorway. Hopefully the Mike guy would spare her and let her in for a little bit of honesty.

"H-hi!" he exclaimed, trying not to smile too hard. "You're new to Rosewood, aren't you? I've never seen you anywhere before."

"Yeah," she said, smiling back at him. "I just moved here. Last week, actually. I know that I wasn't really invited to this party, but maybe you would let me come inside anyways? I don't really know anyone in town, and I wanted to start off with a positive and social experience."

He had no clue who she was, but she was amazing. She was sexy, seemed smart, and he loved it. He couldn't stop smiling like a fool. Well, he wasn't going to say no to her, even if it wasn't even his party! He was sure that Noel wouldn't mind if he brought a cute girl in. Noel understood dating, he loved flirting with girls.

"Sure, of course," he said, moving backwards to let her into the party. "This is my friend's party, not mine, but he won't care. If he asks you, tell him that Mike let you in, he'll understand. Yeah, I'm Mike. Mike Montgomery. Who are you?"

"Sophia Brannigan," she said. "I'll be attending Rosewood High starting tomorrow. I'm going to be a junior."

He was melting inside. She was a hot, smart junior. She was older than him, and he maybe had a chance with her. He wasn't going to let this chance slip away from his hands. He shut the door behind him. He could use the fact that she didn't really know anyone else in town. He could be her guide, her first friend, and eventually, maybe more.

"I'm a sophomore, I hope you don't run away or anything," he joked, sitting down on the couch, and motioning for her to join him. She smiled and sat down next to him. "So, you're new here, huh? Where are you from? I'd love to get to know you a little bit. It's good to make some friends before school starts, you know."

First friend in Rosewood? She was excited. She was going to make this guy be her friend. She knew he was a sophomore and all, so they probably wouldn't have any classes together, but she was fine with it. Any friend was better than no friend. Besides, he seemed really cool, and definitely seemed sweet so far.

"Thanks, that's really sweet," she said with a smile. "I moved here from Florida, my dad got a new job here. I was sad about the move, but it seems the people here are really nice already. I think I might end up liking it here."

Was she flirting with him? Mike felt himself getting butterflies. He was tingly and happy. The junior girl he was talking to was probably the best girl he had ever talked to. Something felt right about conversing with Sophia Brannigan, but he didn't exactly know what. He was going to keep talking to her, though. He wasn't going to let the magic end.

"Florida, huh?" he said, tapping his fingers together. "That's great, really cool. I think you might like it here, too." His eyes met hers for a brief moment. "You should enjoy the night," he said, biting his lip. "How about you start off with some drinks?" She wasn't much of a drinker, but she nodded her head. She was afraid that Mike would think she was a loser if she didn't. "Are you light or heavy?"

She didn't really know much about alcohol, but she said, "Surprise me."

"I like a girl who's a risk taker," he said, getting up with a grin. "I'm gonna go get us some drinks. You hang in there, Sophia. I'll be right back." He got up from the couch and went to Noel's minibar to get drinks.

While he was fixing drinks for Sophia and himself, Noel walked up to him. He slid over, grinning at his buddy.

"Okay, so you brought a mystery girl in here," he said, nudging his friend. "She's a cutie, man! As long as she's not a serial killer, she's welcome here. Where did you meet her? What's her name? Tell me all about her, Mikey!"

The lacrosse player turned to his best friend and explained, "She just moved here from Florida. I don't really know her. She wanted to make friends and stuff before school started, so I invited her in. Her name's Sophia Brannigan, and I think I may be in love with her already, Kahn! She's perfect."

"Love?" he snorted, shaking his head. "I think you're rushing things, Montgomery. You two aren't even dating. I mean, she's smoking and all, but you can't be in love with somebody you just met, can you?"

"I never believes in love at first sight, either, man," Mike said, his smile sincere and adorable. "Well, that was until I met her. I swear, when I looked at her, something was different! I think I love this girl already."

"Dude, it's probably just attraction," Noel said, shaking her head. "You don't really love her, and I know it. Flirt with her, grab her, bang her, and that's it. That's how you get her for one night. You're stupid if you think you're actually in love with her. I think you're just a little too confused."

"Of course I want to have sex with her, but that's not all there is to it, Noel!" Mike cried. "I want a relationship with her. You don't know how strongly I feel about her, and I assure you that it's extremely strong. Give me some tips, you're good with girls! What do I say to her to get her attention?"

Noel shrugged and said, "Be subtle and mysterious. Girls like that sort of thing. Oh, and be subtly funny, but don't do anything stupid... like knock knock jokes. No one likes those."

Mike rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, dude, I'm not stupid! I wasn't going to screw everything up with a hot girl by telling her knock knock jokes. I'm trying to be the best version of myself. I think I might have a chance with her. She looks at me like I actually matter, and I love it. She makes me feel happy."

"You are such a sap," Noel said, slapping his best friend's back. "Go talk to her, man. Why are you talking to me when you have the so called 'love of your life' sitting across the room? Get the hell out of my sight, mofo!" He playfully shoved Mike away, closer to the couch where Sophia was sitting.

Mike slid back next to her, handing her a drink in a red cup. She offered him a smile, even though she was beyond nervous. Alcohol. She didn't know if she was ready to drink. She was scared as hell. Sighing deeply, she took her first sip of the party drink. And... it tasted like shit. She had smelled that scent before during her dad's Super Bowl party. Beer. Shitty beer. She hated the smell of beer so much. She tried not to cringe, because she knew she could possibly scare Mike away. She needed a friend.

"Ooh, look, your brother's talking to a girl, Aria!"

Mortified, Mike turned to see one of his sister's friends teasing him.

"Oh, we saw you at the Brew!" Aria exclaimed, stepping near the couch. "Hi, I'm Mike's sister... Aria Montgomery. I think you're wasting your time talking to him, you should come with us instead. You have a girlfriend, Mike. I'm saving your ass."

"You've got to have the wrong idea... We weren't flirting or anything, I don't like him that way, I just met him," she mumbled, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Mike, if you thought that I was flirting with you. I meant what I said... I just want a friend for tomorrow. If you want to talk as friends, I totally get it. But, at least you have a girlfriend. I'm going to keep walking."

"If you want some friends for tomorrow, why don't you hang out with us?" Aria asked, her smile glistening. "My friends and I would love to have you around. You can meet them all. There's four of us. And knowing my brother, he was probably flirting with you. He has a girlfriend."

Mike slapped his forehead and yelled, "You always ruin everything for me, Aria!" His glare was intense. "What happened to staying out of my way tonight, huh?"

"God, I love you, little bro, but you are being such a pig," Aria said, shaking her head. "Have you forgotten that Avery exists? Ding dong, douche bag, she's your girlfriend. Stop flirting with other girls while you're in a relationship. Maybe hanging out with Noel is rubbing off on you in bad ways!"

"Thank you, but it's fine," the girl said, biting her lip. "I'm Sophia Brannigan, it's really nice of you to welcome me like that. Is it too late to take you up on that hanging out with your friends offer?"

"No, of course not," Aria said, smiling. "Come with me. And Mike, stop screwing around with girls."

"Stop watching me so closely!" Mike screamed as his sister walked away.

Hanna, who had pointed out Mike's flirting to Aria, followed the two girls to the hallway of Noel's cabin. The tan girl was standing there, sipping from a red cup. The girls joined her in the hallway. Sophia was still extremely nervous. Was she actually going to become friends with the coffee shop girls who she found super intimidating earlier?

"Guys, where's Spencer?" Aria demanded, growing impatient. "She's the one who was practically pleading for us to come to this party! Emily, weren't you with her like a second ago when Hanna and I left?"

"Yeah, but Toby finished talking to his friends, and he wanted to talk to Spencer privately," Emily said, biting her lip. "They went in the room up three doors from here. And who's your new friend, Aria?"

"That's what I was going to tell you all!" Aria exclaimed happily. "Wait, he wanted to talk to her? God, I hope he's not breaking up with her or something. She would be devastated." She turned to the new girl and asked, "Hey Sophia, do you want to come with me to get our other friend?"

Sophia nodded slightly, and followed Aria. The hazel eyes girl walked to the door Emily had described, and popped it open without a knock. Inside was not a sight either of the girls were expecting to see. Spencer, Toby, and a whole lot of lip action. Her hands were running through his hair, and he was holding her waist. They immediately retracted their hands and lips when the door swung open, their arms flying to their sides. They separated from each other, leaving a lot of distance between them, as if that would make up for what they were just doing. As if they thought they would look innocent again.

"H-hi, Aria!" the brunette choked, coughing. "How's it going? You have a new friend? I see. That's fantastic, you should tell us all about her."

"No wonder you're not a fan of PDA," Aria mindlessly mumbled. "I wanted us all to meet this new girl, but it seems you were too preoccupied to talk to us."

"No, no, it's fine, I'm coming," she said, sighing. "I'm sorry... sorry that you had to see that. I promise, I'm not some slut that makes out with guys for fun. This is Toby, and he's my boyfriend of two years."

Aria chuckled and said, "She's not lying when she says it; he's no stranger." The tiny girl turned to their new friend. "She's far from a party girl. She's a bookworm, actually. Always is studying, always has her nose in a book. She's a smarty pants! Meet Spencer Hastings, your human form of Google." The new girl chuckled softly as Aria continued, "So, Spencer, you should meet Sophia Brannigan, she's new here."

"Hey there, bookworm," Sophia quietly joked, smiling up at Spencer, causing the smart girl to laugh. "It's nice to meet you."

"You, too, Sophia," Spencer said, offering a smile. She nudged her boyfriend hard, causing him to cringe.

"Damn it, Spence, I'm sorry," he whispered to his girlfriend. He finally spoke aloud, "Yeah, it's great to meet you, too. Hopefully you didn't forget my name, but if you did, I'll do you a favor. I'm Toby. Bonus— Toby Cavanaugh."

Sophia giggled adorably, and then Aria turned to her and said, "Now that you've met these two love birds," she chuckled softly before continuing, "we should continue and meet the other two: Hanna and Emily. They should still be over there in the hallway, but if not, we can go on a little scavenger hunt. Come on, Sophia."

...

After meeting Hanna and Emily, the group started getting into a good conversation. Sophia was actually having a good time at her first party. She was very satisfied with the group of friends she had found. They seemed cool, and they were actually a lot nicer than she expected. Maybe judging them by the coffee shop scene wasn't the best thing to do, because they were all awesome.

"—and then when we were slow dancing, I tripped on an ice cube and fell! Broke my leg, and practically ruined the dance for us," Toby Cavanaugh concluded his story, causing the whole group to burst out in laughter, including Sophia.

"It's true," Spencer said, chuckling and nodding her head. "That's why you never let Toby Cavanaugh take you to a school dance. He's a real klutz. School dances clearly are not his scene. Hmm, babe?"

He grinned at her and pecked her cheek.

"That's an awesome story," Sophia commented, earning a smile from Toby. "Hey, guys, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get another drink. I'll be right back."

"Do you need a buddy to come with you?" Hanna offered. "You know, 'cause Mike might come back and start harassing you again."

"Hanna!" Aria scolded. "Mike isn't like that. I know he has a girlfriend all, so hitting on Sophia was wrong, but he's a good guy. He wouldn't do it again, unless that asshole Noel told him to go for her again."

"Who is this Noel Kahn guy that you guys keep talking about?" Sophia inquired, scratching her head.

"Oh, god, don't even get me started!" Hanna cried, her eyes going wide. "He's the one that hosts these parties. I mean damn, the guy can throw a good party, and he's super hot, but he's a dickwad, excuse my language. He's always pulling pranks and saying douchebaggy things. Plus, he always has short affairs, and never can keep a relationship. I don't think he's had one long term relationship throughout all of his life!"

Sophia was shocked. What kind of guy could be like that? She was certainly glad that she didn't know Noel Kahn. _Yet_.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm Your National Anthem

CHAPTER 4

Walking away from her new friends, Sophia went to the drinks table to fix another drink for herself. Sliding behind her was none other than_ Mike Montgomery_. She sighed when she saw him. She wanted to be friends with him, she really did, but he was making it hard for her. He was clearly flirting with her when they were both in relationships! She was still committed to Ryan (determined to make it work, actually), and he was in a relationship with some girl named Avery.

"Hey, Sophia," he said, staring at the floor. "I'm really sorry about the whole flirting thing from earlier. I just want to be friends with you, and that's all. Sorry if I was flirty, I was over my head. I have a girlfriend that I want to be with, and she's just going through a rough time. I was forgetting about her. But, I want things to work with her. I want things to work with us, too, as friends. Is that okay with you?"

Sophia smiled and said, "Of course, Mike! That's exactly what I wanted from you. Actually, I have a boyfriend back in Florida, so it's all good. A friend is really what I needed. We should definitely keep in touch, as friends. Oh, and that led me to meeting your sister and her friends. They're all so great, I love them! Thank you so much."

"My sister Aria?" Mike scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You must be hanging out with the wrong sister. I love my sister, but she's lame, and so are her friends. How can you even tolerate being near them for more than five minutes? Oh, and her friend Spencer always makes out with her boyfriend when she thinks they're alone. Sometimes, they're really not alone! I saw it myself."

Sophia chuckled and said, "All siblings say that about each other. I think you're really cool, and I think your sister is, too. How's that?"

"I'm all for it," Mike said, nodding at her. "So, I think I should get back to the party. I may even call my girlfriend Avery and check up on her, because I need to be there for her to be a good boyfriend to her. Maybe I'll see you around at school from now on? I hope..."

"Hopefully," she spoke, smiling at him as he walked away.

...

"—and then Aria came in and fucked the whole thing up, man!"

Rolling his eyes, Noel Kahn commented, "You're a dick, Mike. You told me that you broke up with Avery last week! Since when did you two get back together? If you're in a relationship, you shouldn't be flirting with the new girl. Even I know that!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Mike said, sighing. "I told you that Avery and I broke up... 'cause it felt that way between us. I don't feel like we're in a relationship anymore. And I wanna break up with her, but she's got that whole thing with her dad, and she's been supporting him in the hospital for weeks. You can't break up with a girl while her dad is sick in the hospital! That's cold. I don't want to drop more bad news for her."

"You know what's worse than Avery finding out that you honestly want to break up with her when you tell her?" Noel said, glaring at his best friend. "Avery finding out that you want to break up with her when she finds out that you're cheating on her with some new girl! As much as I love me some cat fights, you can't do that to the new girl. Don't make her have some rivalry with your girlfriend."

"I know it's stupid. I really care about Avery, I promise you I do... but I just can't be with her. After tonight, my attraction to Sophia, it's insane!" Mike cried.

"Look, you need to make a choice already," Noel said, rolling his eyes. "I'm gonna go get another drink. It's been too long. I'm not even drunk, I've only had like one beer tonight. Want anything, dude? Eric has vodka in the cabinet if you want me to hit you you up with that." Eric was Noel's older brother who had already went off to college.

"Vodka? Sounds good," Mike said, grinning. "Yeah, get me one."

Noel nodded his head and started walking to the kitchen. On his way there, he bumped into someone. A girl, actually. And it was none other than Mike's new infatuating crush: Sophia Brannigan.

"Oh, damn, sorry," Noel said, backing up a little.

"It's okay," Sophia said sweetly.

"I made you drop your drink, though!" Noel cried. "I'm so, so, sorry. Hey, why don't you come with me? I'll get you another drink." She seemed a bit hesitant. "I promise, I don't bite. I just feel bad that I made you spill yours. Come on, please?"

She smiled and followed him. She had no clue what his name was. She didn't know that he was the Noel Kahn that Hanna had been talking about.

"Here you go," Noel said, gently handing her a red cup. Their hands touched as the cup was transferred to Sophia's hands. "One icy cold beer."

"Thank you," Sophia said, smiling. "Why would go all the way back here to get me another drink, though? Most guys would have just brushed it off."

"Well, I'm trying to be nice for a change," Noel said, offering her a smile. "And I believe you're Mike's friend, right? Mike Montgomery, if you remember him."

"How could I forget him?" Sophia asked, chuckling quietly. "You're not going to try to hit on me like he did, are you? Let me just make it clear: I have a boyfriend. He's back in Florida, but he's still my boyfriend, and I'm committed to him."

"Cocky, are we?" Noel teased, grinning. "Don't worry, Mike is just confused. His girlfriend has been away with her dad for a while, so he hasn't been getting the attention from her that he's used to getting. I guess he just misses her, but I don't really know. But, I do know that he's over his head."

Sophia smiled and asked, "So, are you a friend of his or an enemy of his? I can't really tell."

Noel laughed quietly before saying, "Friend, friend, definitely friend. He's probably one of my best friends, actually. Yeah, I put him down, but it's cool. That's just what we do. And you know that I was right when I said he was over his head when he flirted with you! I mean, honestly, you have a boyfriend, and he has a girlfriend. It would just be dumb." He locked eyes with her before saying, "So, you're Sophia Brannigan, huh?"

"That's me," she said playfully, doing a little hair flip.

"I'm Noel Kahn," he introduced himself. "This is actually my cabin. What you can thank Mike is, is for letting you into the party in the first place. When he saw you, he just had to let you in. I usually don't let strangers crash my parties, but he's my buddy, so I let it slide. Besides, you seem pretty cool. I wouldn't think that you're a killer or anything."

"Yeah, why would I want to ki—" Sophia began, but then her eyes widened. Oh, god! He couldn't be that guy that Hanna was talking about, could he. She looked up in shock and asked, "Wait, did you say that your name is Noel Kahn?"

"Mhm," he hummed calmly, scratching his head. "That's the name. Why is that baffling to you? Were you expecting someone else to be me?"

"No, it's just that... I've heard some stuff about you," she began quietly.

"Yeah, I should have figured," Noel said, sighing. "You were hanging out with Aria Montgomery and her friends. They all think I'm a jerk, especially Hanna Marin. And I admit, I have a jerk like side, but I don't think I'm all that bad. You can believe them, if you want. But, maybe you would want to get to know me before deciding if I'm a jerk or not?"

"I didn't think you were a jerk, it's just that, they made you seem so bad," Sophia said, raising her eyebrows. "But for as long as we've been talking, you've been the opposite of a jerk! You seem a lot nicer. When I thought Noel Kahn, I was thinking a player or a jerk with the leather jackets and the motorcycle."

Noel rolled his eyes playfully and said, "Well, I can't answer that question—if I'm a jerk or not." He stared at the floor before continuing, "Maybe I'm a nice guy, maybe I'm not. You'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

Sophia couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah," she started. "I guess I'll just have to wait and see."


End file.
